Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit – Self Control

Self-Control

I’ve greatly misunderstood the Fruit of the Spirit of
Self-Control. For years, I’ve prayed to God to give me more self-control
because I’ve struggled with my weight and thought if I only had more will
power, more self-discipline… as if that is what self-control consisted of: the self.
Now I know better.

Jesus told us how to bear “fruit” – outward expressions of a
maturing inward character – by remaining connected to Him.

In the Book of John, chapter 15, Jesus said: “I am the Vine and my Father is the gardener” (some versions say: “vineyard keeper”). As Christians, we are the “branches” grafted into God’s family though faith in Jesus, the Son of God. What branch can bear any fruit if it is cut off? None. What branch actually produces more fruit if it is properly pruned? All. Apart from the Vine (Jesus), the branch (believers) will wither and die. It will not produce anything. And this is the metaphor Jesus used to teach His disciples about relationship.

Without putting Jesus first in our lives by fellowshipping
with Him through prayer, scripture reading and worship, we will not be able to
produce these good things of the spirit – we will fail.

I’ve failed many times in trying to muster up my own
self-control, as if it was some kind of will-power—if I just try harder next
time!

But now I am wiser for the wear, and know that if I try this
in my own power, I will never succeed. I need Christ to succeed with
self-control. It’s all about partnering with Him as I journey through the life
of the Spirit. Without Him, I am a withering branch. With Him, I am a fruitful
branch. It really is that simple.

Implications of
Self-Control

Through the grace of God, He has shown me a much deeper,
richer understanding of what it means to have the fruit of self-control, and it
certainly is not about willpower!

The implications of the fruit of the Spirit of self-control
are many. Self-control implies that we have desires we should control instead
of satisfy; that there are some impulses which should either be engaged in
moderately or not at all. In the Biblical context, 2 Peter 1:6 references
self-control within God’s blessing, suggesting that we need to actively add
things to our lives in order to grow spiritually: to faith, add knowledge; to
knowledge, self-control; to self-control, patience… ending with love being
added to all.

Peter mentions that if these things are in us and growing, they will be useful and productive in our knowledge. But if these things are not added to our lives, then Peter says we won’t see clearly—that we are blind and have forgotten that we’re made clean from our past sins.

In Galatians 5:1, Paul speaks of the freedom found in
Christ: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Further on, Paul says:
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love,” (v13).
Then Paul encourages us to “walk by the Spirit,” not by the Law because the Law
symbolizes things we do to look good, or to ‘be right’, on the outside. God is
more interested in what is going on inside of us, because from within, all
things flow outwardly.

Walking by the Spirit

Right before the list of the spiritual fruits, Paul tells us how to know if we’re “walking by the Spirit”—by what we don’t do: the acts of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Then Paul speaks of things we should do, showing we have ‘Spirit-led’ lives: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The last in this list is self-control.

It is of no coincidence that self-control is the last in the
list. Nothing about the Bible is ever random. Everything has a purpose to it,
and through prayer and contemplation, the Spirit can reveal the deeper meaning
and purpose to everything in the Word.

So, why is the fruit of self-control listed last?

In Proverbs 25:28, it says: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

Back in Biblical times, cities were fortified by walls
around them to protect against invaders and enemies. Without walls, a city
would be vulnerable to attack and possibly destroyed. If the city walls were
broken through, the invading armies would defeat that city, taking it under
their control, or completely ruining the city after the invaders had pillaged it,
and then sometimes lighting the city on fire.

Self-control is like a city wall. Without self-control,
we too can be vulnerable to attack and end up ruined; a broken spirit. Just like
ancient cities couldn’t be safe without intact walls, humans can’t function
well without an intact spirit.

Loosing Self-Control

What happens when we lose self-control? We don’t have to
look far in the Bible to see who ended up in ruins for lack of self-control. In
Genesis 25, the story of twin brothers emerges. Esau was the first born, and
thus, due to inherit the traditional birthright. Yet Jacob was born with his
hand holding Esau’s heel (foreshadowing). Later as grown men, after a long day
out in the field, Esau came in exhausted and very hungry. Jacob had been
cooking stew, and Esau, loosing self-control, sells his birthright to Jacob
over bread and lentil stew… simply because he was hungry. Esau let his appetite
control him.

“Esau’s character is portrayed as that of a careless,
shallow man, living from hand to mouth, and paying no regard to things of
higher or spiritual significance. It is this trait which is referred to
in Hebrews
12:16, “or profane person as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own
birthright.” The privilege of the birthright was counted as sacred in the
social life of the early Israelites. The birthright was Esau’s by God’s gift,
not by his own merit. Hence it symbolized eternal blessing. Esau’s repudiation
of the unseen and intangible, for the sake of immediate self-gratification, is
the symbol of a large proportion of human sin and thoughtlessness.”[1]

Operating
Self-Control

We need look no further than to Christ who exhibits self-control
best. Consider the most challenging aspect of His earthly existence: the
arrest, trial and crucifixion. During that ordeal, Jesus was the perfect
example of one who showed self-control. Through the power of the Holy Spirit,
he laid down His life for us, not answering the mockers, not responding to the
charges made against Him. He knew what must be done, and He did it with
self-control. He could have called down enormous powers at any time against His
enemies, but instead, Jesus exercised self-control throughout His earthly
ministry.

People Today

In the End Times, Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3:3 that people
will be “without self-control.” That’s happening now. Many seek immediate
gratification with little consideration to the “unseen and intangible” things
of God. They’ve lost their anchor to the truth, and without it, are being
tossed about like ships on a raging sea.

As Christians, it is important to remember that without
self-control, your spirit can be vulnerable to ruin. But when we call on the
name of the Lord, He will save us, as He is the “Master Builder.” He can help
us repair and fortify our “city walls;” to build something spiritually that
will withstand attacks.

Jesus expects us to remain in Him and bear much fruit (John 15:4, 8). Through the Holy
Spirit, as we are yielded to Him, He can certainly help us develop the fruit of
self-control. We need His help to build and sustains us, just as He does with
all of creation. Since God’s supreme power established the foundations of the
earth (Prov.
3:19; 8:30), He can certainly help ‘build the walls’ of self-control.

What is self-control?

Self-control protects us. It’s the fence that ultimately
protects ALL the fruits of the Spirit that God is growing in your life, which
is why it’s the last in the list. Defense is necessary to protect us from
imbalance. It’s not about willpower. It’s God’s power within us, as we remain
in Him.

Lisa Quintana is a Christian Apologist & blogs at www.ThinkDivinely.com. She’s a former broadcast radio reporter, and left her career to stay home & raise her two children. She homeschooled her son during his middle school years, while earning a Master’s degree in Apologetics at Biola University (Dec. 2017). Now Lisa teaches classes at her church in Madison, and has been happily married for 27-years to the same terrific guy! You can follow on Twitter @LisaQThinks, or Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThinkDivinelywithLisaQ/

Excellent post, Lisa! I appreciate how you walked us through the details of self-control and clarified that it’s not about willpower, because our strength is never strong enough. Instead it is the result of abiding in Jesus through daily, through repeated connections in prayer and His Word. Lastly, the analogy of the city wall as a form of protection is a powerful one. I love your conclusion! “Self-control protects us. It’s the fence that ultimately protects ALL the fruits of the Spirit that God is growing in your life, which is why it’s the last in the list. Defense is necessary to protect us from imbalance. It’s not about willpower. It’s God’s power within us, as we remain in Him.” May our surrender to the Holy Spirit bring about the protection of all the other growing fruits of His Spirit! God bless you!

I really liked your response to the post. Yours is a nice add on to self-control being last and holding it all together. Thanks. It was great. God bless you.
P.S.
I have to admit that I don’t read the comments or comment myself. I’m glad I did. I guess this time I lost control. Ha.Ha.

Lisa, this is such fresh insight on self-control. So good and so spot on in our misunderstanding of it as will-power and mustering it up in our own power to be good and to do good. Galatians is one of my favorite New Testament books. Paul talks about freedom and walking in the spirit and if we started out in the spirit, why are we resorting back to the flesh. “Are you foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3, ESV)

How you brought so many Scriptures into this article and even a biblical story, shows the depth and breadth of your writing. Powerful!

Loved this! Especially the last paragraph where you’ve described what self control is. I had never thought about self control being the protection around all of the other fruits. That’s a thought provoking concept for me. I’ll be taking some time to mull that idea around in my head for awhile I believe!

Lisa, this is the best exposition I’ve ever seen on self control. You have captured it well by bringing all of these significant texts that illustrate it and define it. By combining Paul’s words, Peter’s instructions on spiritual maturity, and Moses’ account, coupled with cultural explanations and definitions, you’ve painted for us a true example of our need for Christ to live a life of self control. You’ve also testified to the character we lack when we do not, when we place transient things ahead of obedience to Christ and controlling ourselves, just as Esau did. This was so convicting and affirming, informative and strengthening. Well done, sister!

This is a much better way to approach self control than willing it into existence, Lisa. Thank you for your study and insight. I love how you brought in so many relevant Scripture passages for a much broader look into this fruit. I definitely struggle sometimes where self control should have won. But the fruit comes from the Vine Keeper, doesn’t it. Thank you, Jennifer, for hosting Lisa and for this series.

What an excellent article, Lisa Q. Thank you. It’s truly amazing that we make it so hard. As if you’d see an apple tree gritting its teeth and grunting, trying to bear fruit! lol But that’s what we tend toward, instead of digging down our roots in His soil, and letting His sun shine on us, His rain fall on us. Should be an easy burden! You’ve provided a lot to chew on here–thanks again!

A pleasure to “meet” you Lisa via Crystal’s link up. Excellent article and insightful thoughts about self-control and the fruit of the Spirit. May we seek to lean into God instead of wearing ourselves out in our strength. Thank you for sharing, and may God bless you and yours in all your endeavors.

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About The Author

I am a follower of Christ, a wife, and a mother of 3 beautiful King babies. I am a daughter, a sister, a teacher, and a writer. I enjoy reading, cooking, baking, crafting, and spending time with my family.